About this Image

Stone sheathing being placed and tamped at the south end of Flat Top Mountain structure, section 2G of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Commentary

The collection of bridges and grade separation structures are considered some of the most distinctive architectural features of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Many have a rustic stone appearance meant to blend in well with the mountain landscape, created from stone sourced from local quarries. After World War II, however, cost constraints meant that construction materials switched from stone to concrete. Many of the bridges cross minor roads and are simple concrete slab structures. The shoulders above the bridges were often covered with earth and turf to hide the parapet structure from notice.